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MacEachern said The Highland Companies did the right thing by listening to the concerns of residents.

"I know there were many of our residents that were concerned about the mega quarry and the project and its impact on our community, their friends and family," he said.

In the company's press release sent out today (Nov. 21), John Scherer, principal of The Highland Companies, said the project did not receive "sufficient support from the community and government to justify proceeding with the approval process."

MacEachern said he’s pleased the government listened to the concerns of the people.

While the 2,300-acre limestone quarry would have been located about 40 kilometres northwest of Alliston, he said there is no doubt it would have had a major impact locally. According to the proposal, the quarry would have extended about 200 feet below the water table where major river systems intersect in the Nottawasaga watershed.

The mayor said the increase in truck traffic coming and going to the site would have also put more stress on local roads and highways.

"There was the truck traffic, but again you know we have to rally behind the concerns too of our neighbouring municipalities and the environmental concerns that come from a project that size both on water and the whole area," he said.

Alliston resident and AWARE Simcoe member John DeCrombrugghe said he was overjoyed when he heard the news this morning while listening to Goldhawk Fights Back on his radio. The show's host, Dale Goldhawk, has been an outspoken opponent to the quarry since the plan surfaced in March 2011.

"I was definitely against it, I'm ecstatic," DeCrombrugghe said.

He said this is a monumental victory for all of the residents and community groups that banded together in opposition to the quarry.

However, despite what the company has said, he remains skeptical this will be the last we hear of the quarry proposal

"You never know what else they have up their sleeve...they could come back on a smaller scale, you never know," he said.

DeCrombrugghe participated in Soupstock, a culinary-themed rally against the quarry held in October. He thinks the event played a big role in putting an end to the proposal by highlighting its potential impacts.

"We just had the Soupstock in Toronto with 40,000 people out there," he said. "We had two booths...and we never stopped talking all day long about the quarry. We talked to hundreds and hundreds of people about it....people were just amazed about the quarry plans."

Outside his Alliston home, DeCrombrugghe has three signs on his front lawn in opposition to the quarry.

"I still have about 75 of those left for sale...I guess they have become collector's items now," he quipped.